Telephone-exchange system



L. POLINKOWSKY. TELEPHONE EXCHANGE SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED IUNE 5, 1919.

Patented Feb. 14, 1922.

L. POLINKOWSKY. TELEPHONE EXCHANGE SYSTEM. APPLICATION FILED JUNL-I. i919- 4 1,406,221; Patented Feb. 14, 1922 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2. E M H45 y a UNITED STATES PATENT oEEicE.

LIPA POLINKOWSKY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO W'ES'IERNV ELECTRIC COM- IPANY, INCORPORATED, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION 0F NEW YORK.

TELEPHONE-EXCHAN GE SYSTEM.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Feb, 14, 1922.

Application filed .Tune 5, 1919. Serial No. 301,932.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, Lira PoLiNKowsKY, a citizen of Russia, residing at New'York, in the county of New York, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in TelephoneEXchange Systems, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description.

This invention relates to telephone systems in which machine switching apparatus is employed for establishing connections between subscribers lines.

More particularly, this invention is applicable to a telephone system of this character in which message registration is accom-I plishedby providing the several subscribers lines with message registering devices, such that at the completion of a successful `call the register associated with the calling line will be operated to charge the message.

The object of the present invention is the provision of a testing mechanism which is operative in response to certain conditions brought about as a rresult of a telephone connection having been established to make a test of the subscribers lines in order to determine the condition thereof. i

A feature ofthe invention consists in the provision of a testing mechanism at the exchange arranged in common to a plurality of lines, and which becomes operative in response to the release of an established connection between any one of such lines and any other subscribers line to perform a test lof all lines with which it is associated to ascertain whether such lines are in a standard or an unstandard condition.

A further feature resides in the provision, in a telephone system of the above described. character where message registers are associated with the subscribers lines, cfa testing apparatus responsive to the release of an established connection to perform a test of all lines to which it has access to determine the condition of such lines, and further to determine if the message register on the line which initiated the connection was success fully operated, either to charge the call, if successful, or to restore the meter to normal in case the call did not succeed.

A further feature consists of a common testing switch associated with a plurality of subscribers lines operated automatically through a complete cycle in response to the disestablishment of a connection to test the tion will become apparent from the following description and appended claims. y

In the drawings, Figs. 1 and' 2 taken to` gether illustrate a subscribers line appear-l ing inV the exchange in a first line finder, which, with a second finder switch and suc'- oeeding selector switches, is arranged tovextend said line into connection with other lines. There is also shown a message register associated with the subscribers line at the,

substation, and at the exchange a testing mechanism common to a plurality of subscribers lines.

Fig. 3 shows a party line having two substations, each provided with `message registers.

Fig. 4; illustrates a party line having four substations thereon, each of which is equipped with a message register.

Fig. 5 shows a modification of the invention in which the common testing mechanism is associated with a plurality of cord circuits at the first'line iinders.

Referring particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, the subscribers line is provided at the substation with a message register consisting of a polarized magnet 180 connected from one side of theline to ground through a lpair of springs 182 andr183. An operating plunger 181 is arranged to' be set by the subscriber to complete the circuit of the magnet 180 through the springs 182 and 183, such that when metering current of a given polarity is impressed upon the line, the magnet 180 will operate itsarmature in one direction to release the set plunger 181 and charge the call. When current of the opposite polarity is placed on the line, the magnet 180 `is designed to operate its armature in theopposite direction to release the plunger 181 without registering the call.

Considering the message register shown in Fig. l, a description will be given of the structural arrangement and the manner in which the same is designed to operate.l Vhen all parts ofthev register are in their normal positions, the plunger 181 is disposed, as shown in the drawing. Toinitiate clearly illustrate the method olf-operation of such testing mechanism. For a complete understanding of the operation of a system to which this invention is applicable Where first and second line finders, group and final selectors are employed, and in which the release kof an established connection serves to place a high potential current upon the test conductor of the calling line to operate a marginal relay if the call Was successful, or to withhold the application of such high potential, if the call was unsuccessful, for metering purposes during the time that the connection is being disestablished, reference is made to the patent to Polinkowsky No. 1,193,053, issued August 1, 1916.

Assume that the subscriber at the substation shown in Fig. 1 desires to extend a con.- nection to another subscribers line, such kas the line shown in Fig. 2. He irst depresses the plunger 181 to connect ground through the magnet 180 tothe conductor 113. Upon removing the receiver, a circuit is then established from battery through the winding of the line relay 101, right-hand armature and contact of relay 105, conductor 112 through substation apparatus, magnet 180 to ground. Current in this circuit is insuilicient to operate magnet 180 but does cause the relay 101 to attract its, armature. Relay 101, by operating, closes the circuit over the left-hand winding of the common starting relay 104 through the resistance 102, to the terminal 110, whereby a selectable potential is placed upon such terminal atl the first line finders. Relay 104 by attracting its armature places a ground upon the starting conductor 184 which servesin the Well-known manner to start in operation all idle line nders which have access to the calling line. The connection of a first line finder, a second line finder, and the subsequent extension of the call over selecto-r switches to the called line, is Well understood and need not be described herein. As soon as a lirst line inderchas stopped with its brushes upon terminals 110, 118` 119, 121, a circuit is completed from battery. through the Winding of relay 107, and in parallel therewith through the right-hand winding of relay 108, left-hand winding of relay 109, terminal 118 and thence to groundat the irst line finder. Relays 107 and 109 attract their armatures, but relay 108 being marginal remains inactive.

cut-ofi relay 105, armature and contact of thereof to ground. c Relay 105 opens the circuit of the line relay 101 which permits the starting relay 104 to deenergize, provided another subscriber of the same group is not calling, and removes the calling condition from` terminal 110.

lf the call were unsuccessful when the A circuit isnow closed. ,from battery through the winding of the calling subscriber replaces his receiver'to the switchhook, and the switches inthe eX- change restore to normal condition, no high potential current is impressed upon terminal 118. As soon as the holding circuit for relay 107 and the energizing circuit of relay 109 is opened by the release of the connection, rela f 107 deenergizes. A circuit is thereupon established Atrom battery' through the winding of relay 105, armature and con'- tact of relay 109 to ground at the left-hand armature and contact of relay 107 in shunt of the holding circuit through the right-hand Winding of relay 109. This causes the release of relay 109, which in turn opens the circuit for relay 105, but relay 1,05Vbeing slow to release, retainsits armaturesfor an interval. During this period, high potenn call. Circuit for this battery may be traced through the pilot lamp 115, relay116, righthand armature and contact of relay 107, armature and back contact of' relay 108, front contact and left-hand armature of relay 105 to the Conductor 113. As soonas relay V1,05 deenergizes, line relay 101 is again connected to the line.

Assume noW that the calling subscriber succeeded in extending' a connection to the called line and that the called subscriber responded. tion the receivers are replaced on the switchhooks and the connection is disestablished, a high potential is impressed upon the terminal 118 oit' thelirst line nder. This additionaliiow of current Vthrough the righthand Winding of marginal relay 108 is suicient to causesuch relay to attract'its armature. A circuit is established from the high potential batteryV 11,1 ott positive polarity through the relay 117, left-hand Winding, frontk contact and armature of relay 108, front contact and left-hand armature of relay105, conductor 113 through the polarized magnet 180 to ground. This current serves to release the plunger 181 andk also to advance the register 131 to charge the call.

`As soon as the marginal current whiclris only temporarily applied to the terminal 118 is removed, relay 107. the right-hand Winding of relay 108 and the left-hand Winding of relay 109 are deenergized. Thevrighthand Winding of relay 109 is again shortcircuited and such relay thereupon releases its armature, causing in turn the release of relay 105. When the relay 105 releases, ythe circuit from battery 111 is opened, register magnet 180 deenergizes and also the lefthand winding of relay 108 becomes deenergized and such relay releases its armature.

Should the magnet 180 fail to operate properly at the completion of a call to reico FdS

vmove `ground from tnecoinluctor 113; should ject matter ot' the present invention is prof vided at the exchange Ytor detecting' thepresence ot such an unstandard condition. This means consists of a testing switch 120 which is common to a plurality ot linesaud which is started in operation at .the termination of a call on any one of the vhues to which it isV common to make a test thereoit Yfor the purpose of determiningv whether or not any ot such, lines is connected` to ground. The

Vswitch 120 has a plurality otco'ntacts such as 123, which are closed in successive poisitions to the successive conductors 113 of the lines with which this switch is associated. As shown, the line conductor 113 is connected to the sequence switch contact v123 closed in the seventh position the-rect. lAis has been seen, whenever a connection is established Jfrom one subscribers line to another, the disestablishnient of such connection servesto connect either the metering` battery 111 to the calling line or the battery 114, dependent upon whether the call was successful or not. In either event, when t-he connection is released, one or the other of the pilot relays 117 and 116 will be energized. VThese relays upon energizing` close a circuit'ifroin ground over t-heir armatures and .contacts through sequence switch contact 122 in positionfl, winding,` of the sequence switch magnet 120 to battery and ground. The sequence switch 120 thereupon starts in operation and continues to move by means of an energizing circuit including contact 122 bottom, closed in positions 2 to 18 inclusive, back contact and armature of relay 124 -to ground. As sequence switch 120 passes through its successive positions, a circuit is closed trombattery through the winding ot the sensitive test relay 124;, through contacts, such as 123, to the conductor 118 oit lines corresponding-to such successive positions. Should a. lground be present `on the conductor 113 oit the' subscribers line shown, a circuit is established from battery through the relay 124, sequence switch contact 123, position T. bach contact and left-hand armature oi relay 105 to the Conductor 113. Relay 121i thereupon energizes and opens the circuit. oi'.I sequence switch 120, arresting' the movement thereof. At its front contact, the test relay 1244 closes a circuit 'for a trouble signal, such as lamp 125. rlhis trouble circuit may be of any desired character. K Y

Should some other subscribers line be busy duringthe time that the testing' switch 120 is passing through its eycle,rno circuit would be complete to disturb such line, as t-he switch 120 passes through its position correspondin,e` thereto. This true since the test circuit leads vthrough the back Contact and armature o'trelay 105 which, in case of a busy line, will be energized.' i

1f desired, a test may be made otthe lines towhich the switch 120 has accessby the depression, at any tinie,'of the inannalltey 12T.

InFigx 3, thesubstations ot the party line are of the well-known type where the ringer 133 of one substation is connected to ground from one side of the line, whereas the ringer 193 at the other substation is connected` troni ground to the other side ot the line. Both the polarizedvinessaue register magnets 1330 and 190 are .connected to the saine side ot the line.` A. subscriber desiring;v to initiate a call may iirst remove lhis receiver and listen todetermine whether the. party line is free, before deprcssingthe metering button.

In Fig. 4.,- where four subst-ations are arranged onthe party line, each is provided ywith a relay/1&2, 152, 102 andV 172 connected in bridge to the line, which respond to a ringing' current sent from the exchange, and when energized connect the polarized ringe -ers 143, 153, 163 and 173 respectively to the i wiresol;l the party linej Twoofthese polar- Y ized ringers are shownv connected to one side of the line, whereas the other two are connected to the other side oi the line. ,Each substation is equipped with a polarized messagre register` magnet suchwas 110, 150, 160 and 170, all ot which are connected to the saine sidevof the line. V Y v .lVhen the number of lines provided with message registers comparatively large, an arrangement is used, as shown in Fig. 5, whereby the lines are connected in the etchanlee toa separate group `ott first line tinders so that each line needs to he nrovided only with a .cut-olip relay 307 and aline relav 301. This is accomplished by associffiting` the relays, which peritorm the message registration together with the common testine' switch,

.with the first line nderinstead of the in-Ir.

coniing line. y

When a call is initiated, a circuit is established for lthe line relay 301 which energizes and places a selectable potential trombattery through the lett-hand winding of startling relay V3011 on the terminal 310. Relay n304e by energizing, closes a circuit from ground over its armature and Contact through the winding' of the power magnet 311. back contact and armature ot relay 312, back contact and lett-hand armature of relay 313 to battery and ground. This circuit is also extended in multiple to the power mag. ,nets of all other idle i'irst line finders serving the calling line. Power magnet 311 operates inl the well-known" manner to bring the brushes of the line finder in contact with the terminals of the subscribers line. When the terminal 310 or the calling line is reached, a circuit isclosed from such terneceaei minal through therighthand 'high resist-l ance winding kof test relay 3111. Relay 314v brings the nder'to' rest, and also closes a circuit from battery throughthe left-hand armature andcontact of relay 313, armature andlfront contact of relay "312 tothe ter# minal 330 `of a ksecond line finder, thereby placing .a selectable condition thereon. ln parallel therewith, a' circuitis alsov closed for the common starting relay 316 which operates inthev well-known manner to start the idle second line linders in operation. During the extension of the connection, a circuit is completed lover theV contact 333 'for relay 33"? and the right-hand winding of relay 343. Relay '337 operates and closes a circuit over itsleft-hand armature for relay'. 335, which in turn" completesv yaV cir-y cuit for relay 313. Relay 313 opens the circuit for starting relay 316 to bring the second line finders to rest. Relay 34S, being marginal, however, does not receive sufiicient current to operate at this time. The circuit of relay 313 includes the cut-olf relay 307 which in operating opens the circuit of line relay 301.

After the extension of an unsuccessful call when the switches in the exchange are released, no metering battery is placed upon the terminal 333 and therefore relay 348 does not energize. As soon as the circuit of relay 337v is opened, it releases its armatures. Ait the left-hand .armature of relay 337 a circuit is closed in shunt of the winding of relay 335. This causes the relay 335 to deenergize slowly. At the right-hand contact of relay 337, a circuit is now completed from the metering battery 341i through relay 346, right-hand Contact of relay 337, back contact and armature of relay 348, right-hand armature and contact of relay 313, which remains energized until relay 335 releases, to the subscribers line over conductor 343. rlhis serves, as has already been explained, to release the meter at the calling substation without charging the call.

After a successful call has been extended, and the switches released at the termination of the conversation, a metering battery is placed upon the terminal 338. The added iiow of current is suilicient now to operate the right-hand winding of relay 343. A. circuit is thereupon completed from the battery 3&1 of opposite polarity through winding of relay 347, left-hand winding, front con tact and armature of relay 34:8, right-hand armature and Contact of relay 313 to the subscribers line. The reeister is operated Relay Y 5.

at this time-t0 be 'restored and also to charge the call; f v t rlhe commonvtestingsequence switch 320 alreadydf ribed ein connection with testirc" switch 12() to perform a testing opera- .i of allY lines to which it has access, as soon as a call involving any one of such lines as calling line, has been completed. W hat is claimed'is: I

1. ln a telephone system, subscribers lines, means for establishing a lconnection between @peintes in the samey manner as has been` f two 'of said lines, a4 multi-position testing` switch for testingsaid lines, and means re` sponsive to the disestablishment ofsaid core nection for operating said testing switch.

2. In a telephone system, subscriberslines, automatic switches for establishing a connection lbetween two of said lines, a multiposition testing switch for testing said lines, f

and means responsive to 'the disestablishment ofy said connection for operating saldi testing switch. f

ln a telephone system, subscribers lines, automatic switches for 'establishing a connection between said lines, a testing device for testing said lines, means operated each time said switches are taken for use for ini tiating the operation of said testing device, and manually operable means for initiating the operation of said device.

4. ln a. telephone systein,subscribers lines( automatic switches for extending said lines, a testing device for testing said lines, and means operated each time said switches are taken for use for operating said testing evice.

5. ln a telephone system, a plurality of subscribers lines, automatic switches for establishing a connection between said lines, a testing device common to said lines for testing the condition thereof, and means operative in response to the disestablishment of said connection for initiating the operation of said device.

6. in a telephone system, subscribers lines, means for establishing a. connection between said lines, a testing device common to a plurality of said lines, and means operative in response to the disestablishment of a connection between one of said plurality of lines .the condition of said lines, said switch having a position for each of the lines with which it is associated, means responsive to the di sestablishment of a connection between said lines for initiating the movement of the testing switch, means for automatically continuing the movement of said testing switch through its successive positions, and means for arresting the movement of said testing switch in position corresponding to any line upon which an unstandard condition exists.

l0. In a telephone system, subscribers lines, message registers for said lines, means for interconnecting two subscribers lines, a testing device common to said lines, means responsive tothe disestablishment of a cony ,nection for operating amessage register, and means also responsive to the disestablishment of said connection, for operating the testing device to determine if said register has operated correctly. v

V1l. In a telephone system, subscribers lines, message registers on said lines,

yswitches for interconnecting said lines,

means effective as a result of the establish ment of a connection between two subscribers lines to operate the registeren the calling line, a testing switch for testing the condition of a plurality of said lines, means operative upon the disestablishment of said connection forinitiating the movement of said testing switch,` and means for stoppingsuch switch when a line is found upon which the message register has not been properly operated. y

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this l1th day of Jnne, A. D. 1919. LIPA POLINKOWSKY 

